An Almost Fight, An Almost Goalie Goal & Strong Play In Net Has Rookie Mikhail Berdin Turning Heads

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Having led the Moose to seven straight wins - stopping 253 of the 259 shots he faced (.977 SV%) and allowing just 0.85 goals against per game through that span - 21-year-old goaltender Mikhail Berdin has been downright dominant as of late.

On Monday, the Jets’ 2016 sixth round pick was named the AHL’s player of the week.

“The more he plays, the more it confirms what we think of his future,” Moose head coach Pascal Vincent told reporters at the teams’ practice on November 18th.

After Eric Comrie was plucked off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes ahead of the 2019-2020 season, Berdin - who split last season between the Moose and the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen - was thrusted into the starting role.

There was no indication as to how things were going to go for Berdin, given that conventional wisdom would suggest a rookie AHL goalie is better suited with some sort of insurance behind them - a veteran 1B goalie, of sorts - to ease off some of the workload on back-to-back nights and during any sort of growing pains that may arise.

But if anyone was going to debunk the theories that surround the position  it’s Berdin, one of the most unique goaltenders in all of pro hockey.

“I want to keep playing and playing and play back-to-back [every time],” Berdin told reporters on November 11th.

Berdin, who is just two years removed from playing for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, has done more than just hold his own as Manitoba's starter. In fact, it’s Berdin who has been the driving force behind the teams’ rise from the basement of the Central Division at the nine game mark, to sitting tied for a playoff spot at the 16-game mark with a 10-8-0-0 record.

“We rely on him every single night,” Moose captain Peter Stoykewych said. “He knows that. We know that. He’s taken it in stride and I can’t say enough about what he’s done for us.”

Considering he’s started in all but one of the Moose’s games this season, the fact he's been able to maintain a .930 SV% is extremely impressive. While it’s way-too-early to garner much from that type of data, it is worth noting that if the Ufa, Russia native can continue to keep his save percentage in that ballpark, he’ll join the likes of Andrei Vasilevsky, Robin Lehner Matt Murray and John Gibson for the best save percentage by an under-22 AHL goaltender, in the past decade.

You could make the case that Mikhail Berdin has evolved into the most intriguing prospect within the Jets organization. And that’s not just because of his heroics between the pipes, but furthermore, just how unique he is.

For starters, Berdin handles the puck a lot more than the typical goalie.

“I think he stick handles the puck more than me, in a game,” defenceman Jonathan Kovacevic said with a big grin.

Berdin’s puck handling abilities almost make him like a third defenceman for the Moose, as he adds another layer to the teams’ zone exit ability.

“You’ve got to keep the puck away from him if you’re playing against the Moose,” explained Vincent.

During a Remembrance day matinee against the Texas Stars, with the Moose sitting on a two goal lead, Berdin came within a matter of inches of scoring on an empty net after firing a well-aimed puck from just outside his own crease. In the fall of 2017, Berdin scored on an empty net in the USHL and followed it up with some well deserved, over-the-top celebrations.

“He’s going to score, I can tell you that. At some point, he’s going to score,” Vincent said with a great deal of confidence.

What makes Berdin so intriguing is that he always seems to find himself in the spotlight for things that goalies typically aren’t involved in.

On Sunday, he took an exception to an extra jab from San Antonio Rampage forward Jordan Nolan and started a scrum in front of his net. The next day, he summarized the situation with a early quote-of-the-year candidate.

“He didn't try [to] play [the] rebound because I already had [the] puck. He try to hit me like. K, it’s my fucking crease, like get the fuck out of here you know,” Berdin told a group of reporters. “It’s my zone, I don’t care, like [the] guys tell me it’s a tough guy, I don’t care who [he is]. It’s my zone. Play puck, if it’s a rebound, just play it, but don’t touch me, I’m a goalie.”

Berdin’s ability to do what he does— between the pipes and in every other facet—stems from a beaming sense of confidence. He thrives off of pressure.

“That’s a skill,” Vincent explained. “He’s willing to put that pressure on his shoulders. To me, what’s going to make him a real good goalie in the future [is] the more pressure he has, the better he’s going to be. That’s a true skill. You want that type of player on your team.”

Berdin’s ability to instil confidence in his team and the coaching staff has given him an opportunity to be the guy at a stage where fellow goaltenders are still trying to adjust to the pro game.

“It’s a good opportunity for him to get to know what he needs to do in order to get ready for those games,” Vincent said.

Having a solid goaltender is so crucial for an AHL team. Not even because of the importance of having strong goaltender depth throughout an NHL organization, but because the reality is the whoever is in the pipes has the most power to prevent the team from sinking and to keep them swimming.

“When your goalie plays the way that he’s playing right now, it changes how we play as well because the players, they know that if we make a mistake, he’s going to stop that puck. It changes a lot,” Vincent said.

The fact that he’s a young prospect for the Jets makes Berdin even more exciting, but what the stability he’s provided hasn’t just helped his own stock, but rather, his teammates too.